This application relates to a unique combination of an air amplifier and an ionizer placed adjacent a web of material such that a high-velocity and high-volume air flow is created across the surface of the web material to remove dirt, dust, etc. from the web of material.
Prior art systems for cleaning webs of material have included "blow-off" systems designed to direct quantities of air at the material. Such systems have not always been fully satisfactory for cleaning a web of material, as it is somewhat complicated to remove the air and entrained impurities (for purposes of this application, the term "impurities" will be used to refer to dirt, dust, etc., on the web) from the area of the web with a simple "blow-off" system.
Other types of web cleaners may have been utilized to vacuum dust from the web area. In general, such systems have typically needed to be placed very close to the web of material to be functional. Such systems have typically needed to be on the order of a few thousandths of an inch from the web of material to adequately remove the dust, etc. Even so, these systems have not always achieved successful removal of dust, etc., from the web.
Another problem with standard web cleaning systems is that since they must be placed so close to the web, they may not always be practical. The systems sometimes must be so close to the web to function that manufacturing tolerances in web thickness may often be greater than the distance to the cleaning system. In this regard, should there be an imperfection in the web causing a raised portion, that raised portion could actually contact the cleaning systems. This is, of course, undesirable.